Many mainstream solutions for wellness focus on food, supplements, and exercise. What often gets left behind is our home environment. TV on in the background often? That’s a constant distraction. Synthetic fragrances, scented candles, and deodorizers? Those can be endocrine disruptors and headache causers. Do you have harsh lights? They could bother you more than you know. Is your phone dinging all the time? Those constant social media alerts and group messages put a drain on your brain and activate your stress response. Take a weekend, minimize or eliminate these, and see if facing the week on Monday was a little easier…
Community News
Trichotillomania – There is Hope!
Trichotillomania (pronounced tric-o-til-lo-mane-e-ah), also called hair-pulling disorder, is a mental disorder that involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of your body, despite trying to stop. This condition eventually leaves bald patches on the targeted area. Trichotillomania is a baffling compulsive anxiety disorder for which there is no proven cause. People who pull out their hair might think they are alone and suffer in silence, and many will deal with depression and suffer from low self-esteem. Two methods of effective treatment are behavioural therapy and medications, which are generally used in combination.
Don’t Get Bugged
Sometimes it feels like we’re so bombarded with warnings about disease outbreaks around the world, you just want to stay home! Avian influenza, swine flu, malaria, cholera, ebola… the list goes on, with new bugs popping up every year and old bugs making a comeback – some of them almost impossible to pronounce! Travelling around the globe is more commonplace today than ever. Viruses and bacteria are always on the move, as travellers carry them either by travelling while ill or by being a carrier – having the infection but not experiencing symptoms yet. For more detailed tips and information – Pharmasave.com/health-topics.
Dentures and Holiday Festivities
The holidays are a time for celebrating with friends, family, and food! If your dentures fit properly and have been well maintained, there’s no need for you to hold back on the festivities. You can smile confidently when your dentures look good and fit well, and you can eat confidently when they work as they should. And if they’ve been well maintained, there will be no need to worry as you boldly go for that kiss under the mistletoe. If any of this makes you nervous, have your dentures checked out by your denturist before the hustle and bustle of the holidays hits.
Why Do I Procrastinate?
The weekend starts, you are excited but exhausted, you start each day with good intentions, but…now it’s the last day of the long weekend, and you have accomplished nothing! Why do you do this? The reality is, you are only human and can only do so much. It is OK to relax, it is OK to put things aside, as you are tired and burnout is real, and can be dangerous. Allow yourself to breathe, set some realistic goals, and if all are not achieved in one weekend, remember that there will be more to come. Sometimes self-care should be the priority.
Do This Before Exercising!
Warming up is an important part of physical activity (PA). It is performed prior to the main PA, such as exercising, playing sports, or working. This allows the body to increase muscle temperature by getting the blood flowing and preparing the individual for the PA. Warm-ups decrease the risk of injuries from occurring. They should be body-specific to the demands of the activity. For example, an individual going for a 5k run during the fall season should ensure that the lower body muscles are warmed up by performing hamstring sweeps, lateral wall leg swings, a five-minute walk, and then a five-minute jog.
Product Review: L-Arginine
L-Arginine is a potent amino acid that helps to support what scientists refer to as the “Miracle Molecule” – nitric oxide. L-Arginine is converted into nitric oxide in the body to help support circulation. Enhanced blood flow supports many important systems in our body: • Overall cardiovascular system • Immune system • Muscles • Bone and skeletal system • Metabolism
With so many health benefits, it’s no wonder L-Arginine is generating so much excitement. New ARGI+® provides all the power of L-Arginine, plus pomegranate, grape skin, red grape, and berry extracts for cardiovascular and immune system support. Together, these ingredients create a new generation of supplement – one that supports health throughout your entire body.
You Can’t Out Exercise a Bad Diet!
You’ve been consistently going for early morning walks with your neighbour and swinging by the gym for a class on your way home from work for what seems like forever. But your clothes are still fitting tightly, and the scale keeps creeping up. Perhaps you don’t know how many calories you are ingesting in a day, or maybe your hectic life leaves you scrambling for fast food that isn’t nutrient dense. If you are making poor meal choices that don’t align with your goals it won’t matter how much you exercise, you won’t get the results you are looking for. Learn what it takes to feed your body well or hire a professional who can guide you.
Sudden Hearing Loss?
If you were to wake up and notice sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, DO NOT wait a few days to see if it settles down. This is an emergency and without quick intervention, this symptom can become permanent. Your best course of action is to go to the Hospital Emergency Department immediately. The ER Doctor may need to get your hearing tested. If the doctor deems it necessary, it is important to get treated within 48 Hours. Your hearing is too important to push aside, especially as the Christmas season settles in around us.
Bio-Hacking for Beautiful Skin
Proper functioning of our skin cells is the foundation of healthy skin, and healthy skin is beautiful skin! As our outermost defence layer, our skin is susceptible to damage: scars caused by acne and burns, stretch marks, hyperpigmentation, and of course wrinkles and fine lines. Micro-needling can treat the root of this damage. During a treatment, special micro-needles are used to create thousands of micro lesions in the dermis, and this stimulates growth factors that induce collagen and elastin production in the skin, improving the function of the cells and thus the texture and appearance!
Balancing Stress & Celebration
December is simply a difficult month! Balancing negative stresses and positive happiness may seem impossible. One way to help yourself get through it is to pay special attention to your INTENTIONS. These are the thoughts you have before you act on them. For example, during the first week of December, say to yourself as often as you can, “I intend to experience joy and laughter even a tiny bit each day of this month” and then VISUALIZE yourself laughing and feeling happy. Just by saying and visualizing your intention, you have increased the chances of this being your reality by up to 75% more.
